The Key Steps to Prepare For a Remote Job Interview with a Foreign Company
After doing a job search to start your international career, and distributing your CVs with cover letters, you have landed a job interview. You will find yourself face to face with foreign employers whose recruitment methods may differ from those you used to. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of this crucial stage.
Remote job interview
Since the company is located abroad, you will certainly do the interview either by phone or with online video services such as Skype, Zoom, or another video conferencing tool. You should, therefore, be prepared for doing a recruitment interview from home and not at the company's office. It can be either unsettling or reassuring, depending on your personality.
Either way, choose a quiet place. If you make a video call, think about the details that matter. For example, dress appropriately, choose a white or plain wall for the background, and tidy up a bit behind you.
Technicals
Besides your physical appearance and room décor, it is important to check that if everything works well from a technical point of view. Check your Internet connection, test sound quality, and switch your phone to airplane mode.
Expect the interview
Even if the company is international, there are certain issues that are bound to come up. You can plan ahead to avoid feeling caught off guard when the day comes. It is 90% sure that the recruiter will ask you to introduce yourself. You can therefore already practice answering certain interview questions clearly and concisely.
Then, when you talk about your experiences, even if you don't have a lot of them, always be positive. If you have information about your background that you think is useful for the job but that you have not specified in your CV, now is the time to talk about it. Use simple words to prove that you really know what you are talking about.
For all questions that concern the company, you must get a minimum of information beforehand. A quick Google search will give you the essential points you need to know.
Before the call
As with a classic interview, it is always best to arrive early. With a video call, it is the same. It is better to send out an invitation about 10 minutes beforehand to avoid any misunderstandings. Maybe the recruiter has the same name as another person, or it will take you some time to find the contact. These things can cause unnecessary stress, and you definitely don’t need any of that now.
During the interview
There are plenty of tips to give for an interview to go smoothly. Remember to look the recruiter in the eye when they ask you a question and also when you answer. Even thousands of miles away and on screen, it is essential.
If you feel the need, you can take notes. But first of all, tell the person in front of you that you will do it. Behind the camera, it's difficult to guess what the other person is doing... Hands can say a lot, try to make them appear in the frame without overdoing the gestures.
Similarly, if you want to add something or bounce back on something, wait until the person has finished speaking. Cutting off the speech is not very respectful, but when the interview is done remotely, it can quickly become a real mess.
Getting into each other's shoes
Every country has its hiring specifics and unique culture differences. When you do an interview for a company from another country, understand this concept and, above all, make it your own. The challenge is to be yourself while respecting others.
USA
If you deal with an American company, your speech must be absolutely positive. You have to ‘sell’ yourself to prove that you are worth it and that you know how to do it. The commercial aspect is important.
Latin America
In Latin America, recruiters prefer an experienced person who wants to get involved, someone with a degree. It is therefore a superb idea to highlight your professional experience. The tone is very relaxed, the tone of the first conversation is very casual, and sometimes the topic of family is even brought up. Now is the perfect time to talk about your aunt’s pies (they are delicious!) and your grandpa’s adoration for garden crops (they are yummy too!)
Germany
Usually, interviews with German recruiters are very technical. If you answer loosely, you will have very little chance of success. Be self-confident and show no weakness.
Being who you are should be an advantage and not a hindrance. Accept your differences and turn them into strength. If the company agrees to integrate a foreigner into its team, it is because it is open-minded. You will, therefore, be a privileged one.
Japan
As far as the interview is concerned, they will always ask you some classic questions about yourself and your background to get an impression of what kind of person you are. Note that you will also be asked if you have any tattoos. It is okay to have them but you must surely know that in Japan they are very badly seen and you could miss the job because of that.
Great Britain
How would you find a hippopotamus that fell into a hole in the ground? Who would you invite to dinner? These are just some of the strangest questions candidates have to answer in job interviews.
These questions are based on logical and psychological reasoning. Thus, besides applying them carefully, one must be able to extract the essence out of the answers. Most of the time, it is simply a matter of testing the candidate's creative potential or to see their reaction.
Some admit that they answered vaguely because they didn't know what to say either. Others cried under the pressure of not knowing the answer.
At the end of the interview
Admittedly, the job interview is a decisive step which makes it naturally stressful. We often have only one desire: to be over with it - quickly. But pressing the red button to hang up and end it is not the right solution!
Think of concluding questions that show your interest once again. For example, a common question: What is the next step in the recruitment process? It's always good to know what's next.
Don't forget to thank the person who took the time to ‘receive’ you, even virtually. The best way to avoid hanging up too quickly is to wait for the other person to end the conversation.
Now that this is done, cross your fingers and be patient.
A few days later
In general, recruiters give themselves a little time to think before making the final decision. You can always ask how long it takes before they think they can give you an answer.
No matter the country, language, or position, the important thing is to be yourself. Of course, you have to adapt to avoid being seen as a UFO, but don't worry, there are no traps. Good luck!